The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to a luminaire having an LED light source, particularly to an LED luminaire sized to replace an incandescent light bulb, and more particularly to an LED luminaire sized to replace an A19 incandescent light bulb.
In recent years, there has been an increased interest in luminaires, sometimes referred to as “light bulbs” or lamps, which use light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) as a light source. These luminaires are quite attractive since they overcome many of the disadvantages of the conventional light sources, which include incandescent light bulbs, fluorescent, halogen and metal halide lamps.
Conventional light sources, such as incandescent lamps for example, typically have a short useful life. As such, lighting systems commonly incorporate a fixture or “socket” that allows the lamps to be interchanged when the lamp fails to operate. One type of socket, sometimes known as the E25 or E26 Edison medium base, meets the criteria set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), such as the ANSI C78.20-2003 standard for 60 Watt A19 type lamps. The wide adoption of this standard allows the interchangeability of lamps from a variety of manufacturers into lighting systems.
Luminaires have been proposed that allow the use of LED devices in lighting systems. However, LED luminaires tend to emit light in a more directional manner than a corresponding incandescent light bulb. Incandescent light bulbs typically emit light at a substantially uniform luminous intensity level in all directions (360 degree spherical arc about the filament). Thus an incandescent A19 lamp in a luminiaire for example emits substantially the same amount of light outwardly into the room and as it does in a perpendicular direction, or downward toward the surface that the luminaire is resting. This provides for both general ambient lighting and task lighting in a single lamp. An LED module in a luminaire by contrast typically emits light over a cone of 120-150 degrees. As a result, the LED luminaire, even one which is arranged within a globe shaped optic, will not have an equal distribution of light and some areas will have higher luminous intensity than others.
Accordingly, while existing LED luminaires are suitable for their intended purposes, improvements may be made in increasing the ability of the luminaire to distribute light more uniformly, while also providing a direct replacement for conventional incandescent A-lamps.
This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.